Ottawa, Canada

A 36-year-old man of Indian origin has been arrested in Canada for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar gold heist at Toronto's main airport. This arrest occurred nearly a month after the arrest of five other people linked to the theft, which has been the largest in the country's history.

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On April 17, 2023, a cargo container containing over 22 million Canadian dollars' worth of gold bars and foreign currency was stolen from a secure storage facility using counterfeit documentation, as reported by Peel Regional Police. The stolen goods had been transported via an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland, to Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Shortly after the plane landed, the cargo was taken off and moved to another spot on the airport grounds. It was reported missing to the police the next day.

On May 6, 2024, Archit Grover was arrested and charged at the Toronto airport as he arrived from India, according to the police.

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Earlier, the police had issued a warrant for his arrest across Canada.

He is accused of theft exceeding $5,000 and conspiracy to commit a serious crime, stated the police in a Thursday release.

Grover was detained for a bail hearing and appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. Additionally, he is facing charges related to firearms in the US.

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Last month, two people of Indian origin, Parmpal Sidhu, 54, and Amit Jalota, 40, both from Ontario, were arrested in connection with the case, along with Ammad Chaudhary, 43, Ali Raza, 37, and Prasath Paramalingam, 35.

Also, the police said they issued nationwide warrants for Simran Preet Panesar, 31, from Brampton, who worked for Air Canada when the theft happened, and Arsalan Chaudhary, a 42-year-old man from Mississauga.

The police believe that two former Air Canada workers helped with the theft. One is now in jail, and the other has a warrant out for their arrest.

Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick confirmed that Sidhu and Panesar worked for the airline. He said, "One person left the company before today's arrests, and the other has been suspended."

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The theft included 6,600 bars of pure gold, weighing 400 kilogrammes, worth over $20 million, and $2.5 million in foreign money.

Previously, the police said they found one kilogramme of gold, worth around $89,000 Canadian dollars, believed to be part of the stolen goods, plus equipment for melting gold, and about $434,000 in Canadian currency.

(With inputs from agencies)